Mixing apparatus



June 10, 1930. 5, BEERS 1,762,950

MIXING APPARATUS Filed April 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 10, 1930. BEERS 1,762,950

MIXING APPARATUS Filed Aprii 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HENRY S. BEEBS, E WESTPORT,

Fatented June 10, 1930 TUNITED ESTATES PATENT OFFICE GOJ Q'NECTICUT', A SSIGNOR TO THE IUIEtIBOQMIIXEB.-

CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MIXING APPARATUS Application filed April 24, 1929. Serial 1%. 357,719.

zones or'areas in which material might be trapped or eliminated from proper circulation, and generally to increase the efliciency of apparatus of the stated type.

Another important object is to secure 1n a mixer of the propeller type, more rapid and effective mixing, blending or disso ving of solids, fibrous, viscuous 'or other materials, by providing in advantageous locations, grater teeth or analogous devices, which rapidly break down, tear, of character just stated, and further, to so locate or arrange these teeth that the normal flow of material tionally impeded, and power consumption is not considerably increased A further object is to provide 'for supply of material 'to certain zones'or chambers of the mixer, in such manner other materials. The characteristics and advantages of the invention are further sufiiciently explained in connection withthe following detail description of the accompanying which show representative embodiments. After considering these examples, persons will understand that many variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed, and I contemplate the employment of any structures that are properly within the scope of the appended claims. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a typical tank, and mixing apparatus therein, embodyin the invention'in one form.

ig. 2 is aitop plan (enlarged) of the mixer andany or allof the plates or blades 7 and proper.

Fig. 3 Fig. 4 is a vertical section of of mixer.

is a section at 3--3, Fig. 2. I

another form an improved mixture-flow or circulation, to ellmmate or reduce materials I is not noticeably orobjeca that it is quickly 1 broken up or separated, and intermixed with p drawings,

skilled Figs. 5 and grater teeth.

In Fig. 1,.1 is a typical mixing tank with mlxmg apparatus in a low position therein. This apparatus consists of a material circulator 2 of the propeller type, and a casing or housing 3, acting as a flow director. The propeller is mounted on the lower end of a shaft 4, which is driven in any suitable way as understood in the art. I

The flow-director 3 consists of an outer shell or casing 5-, an inner deflector or cone 6 are detail sections of modified 6, and intermediate plates or blades 7 and 8.

The shell 5 has an upper, cylindrical portion 9 with a flared edge or mouth 10, and a lower, flared or hell portion 11; and the conoidal deflector 6 has its apex 12 located near the bottom of the cylindrical shell port1on .9, and its base edge 13 vertically aligned with and suitably spaced from the lower edge 14-013 the-shell, forming an annular discharge nozzle 15. The base of the flow-director is preferably spaced above the tank bottom 16 (for a reason to be explained). as by bosses 17 on the bottom of the cone-base 18, into WhlCh screws 19 are inserted through the tank bottom to secure the director-structure in position.

The flow-controlling or directing blades or lates 7 and 8 bridge the space between the shell 5, or especially its bell: portion 11, and

cone 6. Blades 7 preferably extend from the cone apex 12 to the discharge-mouth 15, are curved as best shown in Fig. 2, and have their upper, or entering edges curved or deflected toreceive liquid driven rotarily downward by the propeller, and divert it to substantially radial flow from the annular mouth or nozzle 15. The shorter blades 8' are interspaced with the longer ones, and generallyrsimilarly formed, being located in lower portions of the liquid-passage.

For convenience in manufacture, the flowdirecting structure may be made in two or more parts, suitably secured together. Thus the shell 5 and cone 6 maybe separate parts,"

To avoid fdead areas (zones Ofisluggish circulation) adjacent the sides of shell 5, I preferably provide vents or ports in the upper shell portion 9, adjacent the plane of the propeller, and also preferably provide directing hoods or shields 21 to suitably direct material issuing from the ports; in this instance, the shields are arranged to direct the material downward, adjacent the sides of the shell, and thus provide, as indicated by arrows, Fig. 1, desired circulation of material in central zones of the tank, or adjacent the shell, where'otherwise the circulation would be sluggish and unsatisfactory.

I also preferably providepprts or vents 22 in cone 6, in arrangement and number sulficient to causea portion of the circulated material to pass into the space within the cone and above the tank bottom, and thus main- 4 tain circulation of the material into this space and'out therefrom under the cone-basemargin, and preventing stagnation of mav terial in the stated space.

casting, punching or otherwise, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the teeth i may be formed in or on plates which may be secured to any'of the stated surfaces of the In many cases, and especially for the treat-.

ment of mixes containing solids, fibrous material, viscous components, etc., I preferably provide means for rapidly grating, tearing apart, reducing, or otherwise comminuting and intermixing such materials; such means consists, as here shown, in grating blades or teeth in favorable locations in the flowdirecting structure. Thus, as shown in Figs.

1, 2 and 3, I provide a multiplicity of grater teeth 24 on active (anterior) faces of blades 7 and 8, or any of them, and/or similar teeth 25 on the inner surface of cone 6, or areas of such surface. These teeth may be provided as shown in these figures, by forming them integrally with the walls 'or blades, as by uging operations;

flow-directing structure. 7

In Fig. 5, pointed or hooked teeth 26 are formed in a sheet metal plate 27 by punching and bending o erations, thus leaving apertures, certain 0 which cooperate with the cone-ports, when plate 27- is secured to the cone, to permit material-flow to the underside of the cone, as and for purposes above explained.

In Fig. 6, stub-teeth 29 are formed in a similar way in a plate 30. This plate may itself be a wall of the flow-directing structure, and in such case the apertures formed by punching and bending the teeth permit material flow through such wall, as sufficiently explained by the arrows.

The grater-teeth, in any of the forms or arrangements described, act as also above indicated, to greatly increase the rapidity of disintegration and intermixture of solids, viscous materials, etc., without appreciably or objectionably retarding the normal cirwhich screws 36 pass to secure the upper and lower directing structures together. The combined flow-directors may be supported in the desired position in any suitable way, as by arms or struts (not shown) from the tank wall. The cones 6 are centrally bored through their apices, to receive and provide bearings for shaft 4 or if desired there may be clearance about the shaft to permit flow of material into the central chamber 37 (between cones 6). A propeller 2 is secured on the shaft and properly located in each cylindrical or throat portion .9 of the two shells, the blade-angle or pitch being such as to draw material inwardly, and downward and upward, propel it through theflow-directing passages, with conversion of rotary motion to radial flow, and to discharge the material radially from the two annular nozzles 15 toward the tank-wall, where it flows respectively upward and downward, then inward, and so back to the intakes, as well represented by'the arrows. The ports 22 in cones 6-permit a certain proportion of the material to flow through them into the central chamber 37, between the cones, and so out through the annular space between the cone-base-edges, thus preventing any stagnation of material in the stated zone.

Grater teeth or equivalent devices may be included in the directing-structures of Fig. 4, in any of the ways described in reference to Fi s. 1 to 3.

also provide, when desired, means for supplying some or all of the materials to be mixed, to the chambers or zones adjacent the flow directing structures; thusin Fig. 3, a pipe 40 is connected to the tank bottom, to discharge material into the interior of" the cone,- or deflector 6. Viscous or other material supplied through pipe 40 is thus introduced at a point or zone where it is broken up or separated by material entering through the ports 22, passes out below the cone, and is taken up in the general circulation and intermixed rapidly with the other materials, without opportunity to accumulate or stagnate in large masses. In some cases the pipe may be extended to discharge at the apex of cone 6, and material so discharged will be broken up and taken directly into the main fiow of material through the flow director. In Fig. 4, a pipe 41 leads through the tank wall to a discharge point substantially central in chamber 37, in .which the material so supplied is broken up and intermixed with other materials entering through ports 22, and

1. Mixing apparatus comprising a tubular flow director having a generally flaring form in the direction of flow, a propeller in the intake portion of the director, and discharge ports in the director adjacent the propeller, and means at the ports for deflecting material and avoiding dead circulation areas' adj accnt the director.-

2. Mixing apparatus comprising a tubular flow-director having a generally flaring form in the direction of flow, a propeller in the intake portion of the director, the flow director having interior surface areas" provided with a multiplicity of grating teeth.

3. Mixing apparatus comprising a tubular flow director havin a generally flaring form in the direction of flow, a propeller in the intake portion of the director, the flow director having interior plates forconvertin'g rotary flow to radial flow and discharge of material, and certain of said plates having on anterior faces a multiplicity of grating teeth.

4. Mixing apparatus comprising two tubular flow directors having oppositely located -intake portions and adjacent, flared annular discharge portions, and propellers, one located in each said intake portion.

5. Mixing apparatus comprising two tubular flow directors having oppositely located intake portions and adjacent, flared annular discharge portions, and propellers, one located in each said intake portion, and carried by a common shaft passing through the director. a

6. Mixing apparatus comprising two tubular flow directors having oppositely located intake portions and adjacent, flared annular discharge portions, and propellers, one located in each said intake portion, the adjacent portions of the directors being spaced apart. Y

7. Mixing apparatus comprising two tubular flow directors having oppositely located intake portions and adjacent, flared annular discharge portions, and propellers, one located in each said intake portion, the adjacent portions of the directors being spaced apart, and means for supplying a portion of the circulated material to the area between the directors. 8. Mixing apparatus comprising a flowdirector including a shell having a substantially cylindrical portion and a flared portion, and a conoidal deflector located substantially within the flared portion, a'propeller in said cylindrical portion, and vents in said cylindrical portion adjacent the propeller.

Q9. Mixing apparatus comprising a-flow director including a shell having a substantially cylindrical portion and a flared portion, and a conoidal deflector located substantially within the flared portion, a propeller in said cylindrical portion, and vents in said cylindrical portion adjacent the propeller,

and directing shields exterior to the vents.

l0. Mixing apparatus comprising a flow director including a shell having a substantially cylindrical portion and a flared portion, and a conoidal deflector located substantially Within the-flared portion, a propeller in said cylindrical portion, and directing plates between said flared portion, and the conoidal deflector. v

11. Mixing apparatus comprising a flow director including a shell having a substantially cylindrical portion and a flared portion, and a conoidal deflector located substan-' tially within the flared portion, a propeller in said cylindrical portion, and curved directing plates between said flared portion and the conoidal deflector. 4

12. Mixing apparatus comprising a flow director including a shell having a substantially cylindrical'portion and a flared portion, and a'conoidal deflector located substantially within the flared portion, a propeller in said cylindrical portion,.said conoidal deflector being spaced from an adjacent tank wall, and havingports for supplying circulated material to the space between the deflector and the wall.

13. Mixing. apparatus comprising a flow director including a shell having a substantially cylindrical portion and a flared portion, and a conoidal deflector located sub-.

stantially within the flared portion, a pro-' peller'in said cylindrical. portion, interior-- surfaces ofthe deflector being provided with a multiplicity'of grating teeth.

14. Mixing apparatus comprising a flow director including a shell having a substantially cylindrical portion and a flared portion, and a conoidal deflector located substantially within the flared portion, a propeller in said cylindrical portion, and directing plates between said flared portion, and the conoidal deflector, surfaces of certain of said plates being provided with a multiplicity of grating teeth.

director including a shell having a substantially cylindrical portion and a flared portion, and a conoidal deflector located substan- '15. Mixing apparatus comprising a flow" tially within the flared portion, a propeller in said cylindrical port-ion, said conoidal deflector being spaced from an adjacent tank wall,

and having ports for supplying circulated material to the space between the deflector and the wall, and interior surfaces of the deflector being provided with a multiplicity of grating teeth.

, 16. Mixing apparatus comprising two tubular flow directors having oppositely located intake portions and adjacent, flared annular discharge portions, and propellers, one located in each said intake portion, the adjacent portions of the directors being spaced apart, a conduit leading directly to the chamber between the directors, for supplying material thereto.

17. Mixing apparatus comprising a flow director including a shell having a enerally flaring form in the direction of ow, and within its discharge portion a substantially conical deflector, means supporting the flow director on a tank wall with said'deflector spaced therefrom, means for delivering a part I of the circulated material to the space between the deflector and the tank Wall, and a pro-' peller in the intake portion of the director. 18. Mixing apparatus comprising a tubular flow director flaring in the direction of flow,

a substantially conical deflector within the discharge portion of the director, plates between. the director and the deflector and curved to produce substantially radial dis-- charge of material, and a rotary material propelling device in an upper portion of the director. 4

19. Mixing apparatus comprising a tubular flow director havin a generally flaring form in the direction of 0W, a propeller in the intake portion of the director, and discharge ports in the director adjacent the propeller.

In testimony whereof l aflix my signature.

. HENRY S. BEERS. 

